Articulated fastener



June 5, 1956 G. T. OWEN 2,748,439

' ARTICULATED FASTENER Filed June 1.8, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR650/965 TTOl VE/V,

ATTORNEY G. T. OWEN ARTICULATED FASTENER June 5, 1956 Filed June 18,1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR GEO/P65 7-. OWE/V,

- 9M 1 WW4 ATTORNEY Uni s The present invention relates to an improvedarticulated fastener assembly and more particularly an improved fastenerelement for the assembly.

Articulated fasteners which are more commonly known as slide fastenersor zippers are now in widespread use to provide operative closures for agreat variety of objects such as wearing apparel, containers and thelike. In fact, the use of slide fasteners is now so common that nearlyeveryone is familiar with some of their objectionable features. Forexample, the present form of commercially available slide fastener hasnumerous closely-spaced sharp edges or contours which have been thecause of many obvious and sometimes embarrassing difficulties,particularly when used on wearing apparel. This will be more readilyunderstood when it is realized that the closely-spaced inter-engagingsharp-edged contours sometimes function to entangle and shear manyinterfering foreign objects such as loose threads, lint, dirt and otherfabrics during the opening and closing operations of the fastener. Inthe case of loose threads and lint or dirt, such foreign objectsgradually accumulate in the spaces between the closely-spaced fastenerelements until, at some possibly embarrassing moment, the fastenerrefuses to open or close and is stuck. Another objectionable feature ofthe presently available slide fastener constructions is their limitedflexibility which is not universal in direction and when used on wearingapparel gives the wearer a corset stay feeling. Also, conventional slidefasteners are machine assembled on a securing tape or backing strip, andin the event of jamming, the entire string of fastening elements securedto the tape must be removed and replaced.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improvedarticulated slide fastener assembly having universal joint flexibilityin all directions when fastened and which is therefore particularlysuitable for use with wearing apparel to permit a greater latitude ofdesign of the garment and assure contour beauty. 7 Another object of theinvention is to provide an improved form of articulated fastenerassembly comprising .a pluralityof similar elements having nocloselyspaced sharp edges or corners and which operates freely andeasily and assures longer life for both the fabric and the fastener.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a novel form ofarticulated fastener element that is economical to manufacture and whichmay be individually secured to the meeting edge of a fabric closurewithout the use of supporting tapes, thus permitting hand assembly anddisassembly and enabling the ultimate consumer or wearer to adjustindividual elements of the fastener in a manner not possible withconventional machine assembled and tape secured fastener arrangements.

A feature of the invention is the provision of a slide fastenerarrangement employing a plurality of identical fastener elements havingclip members enabling each element to be individually clamped andsecured alternately to opposite meeting fabric edges in alignment withPatent each other when the fabric edges are joined and securedthan thediameter of the ball portion. In such manner,

universal jointflexibility of the articulated slide fastener assembly ofthe invention in the fastened position is obtained and clearances areprovided to minimize jamming while at the same time assuring a reliableclosure. A pair of radially projecting clamping wings or clip membersextend from the side wall of the socket by means 'of which each fastenerelement may be individu ally secured directly to the fabric edges to bejoined.

Other objects, features and the attending advantages of the inventionwill be apparent with reference to the following specification anddrawings .m which:

Fig. l is a plan view of the articulated slide fastener arrangement ofthe invention in a partly fastened position and secured to oppositemeeting fabric edges;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in section to show thecomplementary arrangement of ball and socket portions of the fastenerelements in the fastened position;

Fig. 3 is a section through the socket portion and clip member of thefastener element as secured to a fabric edge;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the fastener element;

Figs. 5 through 7 are detail views of one form of slide for use with thefastener of the invention; and

Figs. 8 and 9: are views of a terminal fastener element and itsrelationship to the fastener assembly.

Referring to Figs. 1 through 4 of the drawings, fabrics 10 and 11 areshown with meeting edegs 12 and 13 to be operatively joined by thearticulated fastener of the invention. With the exception of theterminal fastener element to be later described, each of the fastenerelements generally indicated at 15 is identical. The fastener elementsare secured in alternate succession to fabric edges 12 and 13,respectively, so that as the complementary male and female ball andsocket portions of the fastener elements are engaged with each other,the fabric edges 12 and 13 are joined and secured together. Eachfastener element 15 is an integral unit including an inverted cylinderor cup-shaped socket portion 16 having an end wall 17 and a stem 18 onwhich the ball portion 19 is mounted. The stem 18 is centrallypositioned in alignment with the cylindrical axis of the socket, and theball 19 is mounted with its diametrical'axis in alignment with the stem18 and the cylindrical axis of the socket. A pair of clip ears or wings20 and 21 extend radially from the side wall of the socket portion 16 bymeans of which each of the fastener elements 15 may be individuallysecured to a fabric edge. Any form of pliers or rivet securing tool maybe used to securely attach the fastener element to the fabric by formingthe concave depression 22 in clip 20 and the complementary depression 23in clip 21 with the fabric 10 gripped therebetween, as shown in Fig. 3of the drawings.

With particular reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings, it will be notedthat the side wall of the cup portion 16 is of such dimension as to forma socket having a depth slightly greater than the radius of the ballportion 19. It should also be noted that the diameter of the socketportion is slightly greater than the diameter of the ball portion toprovide a small clearance 25 between the com- Patentecl June 5, 1956plementary socket and ball when the fastener elements are joinedtogether. Such arrangements assure a free action and universal jointflexibility without impairing the reliability of the fastener as shouldnow be readily apparent. Furthermore, the clearance 25 and thepositioning of the ball portion 19 on the stem 18 minimize thepossibilities of jamming, since closely-spaced clearances to accumulatedirt, etc. are therefore not present as is the case with theconventional slide fastener constructions.

Referring now to Figs. 5 through 7 of the drawings, the fastener slidegenerally indicated at 30 may be formed of a single metal stampinghaving the curved side portions 31-34 and the Y connecting neck portion35. The curved side portions 31-34 are formed to slidably receive thecylindrical side wall of the socket portion 16 of each fastener element.An operating handle or loop 36 is connected by a strap 37 secured by arivet 38 to the connecting Y portion 35. The strap 37, which ispreferably formed of spring material, is provided with an end portion 40adapted to be received in the slot 41 to normally be engaged betweensuccessive fastener elements and lock the slide 30 in the adjustedposition. Upon actuation of the operating handle 36 to move the slide30, the locking end 40 of the strap 37 is moved outwardly fromengagement between the fastener elements, and the slide is free to bemoved.

As shown in Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings, the last or terminal fastenerelement to be engaged in closing the articulated fastener assembly maybe modified to provide for overtravel of the slide and retain the slideon the assembly. For such purpose, the cup-shaped portion 16 is providedwith a flange or shoulder portion 42 of greater diameter than the loweropening of the slide 30.

It is believed that the operation and the advantage of the articulatedslide fastener assembly of the invention should now be readily apparentfrom the foregoing description. It will be noted that the fastenerelement has no sharp-edged interengaging contours or closely-spacedclearances and therefore that jamming and shearing with foreign objectsis to a large extent prevented.

Various modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention andthe scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an articulated slide fastener assembly, each of the fastenerelements including in combination, a cylindrical socket portion, a stemextending outwardly from the end wall of said socket portion in axialalignment with the cylindrical axis of said socket portion, and a ballportion secured to the end of said stem with its diametrical axis inalignment with the cylindrical axis of said socket portion, said ballportion having a diameter slightly less than the inner diameter of saidsocket portion, said socket portion having an inner depth slightly morethan the radius of said ball portion.

2. In an articulated slide fastener assembly, each of the fastenerelements including in combination, a cylindrical socket portion, a clipmember extending radially outwardly from the side wall of said socketportion for securing the fastener element to an object to be fastened, astem extending outward from the end wall of said socket portion in axialalignment with the cylindrical axis of said socket portion, and a ballportion secured to the end of said stem with its diametrical axis inalignment with the cylindrical axis of said socket portion, said ballportion having a diameter slightly less than the inner diameter of saidsocket portion, said socket portion having an inner depth slightly morethan the radius of said ball portion.

3. In an articulated slide fastener assembly having a plurality ofsubstantially identical fastener elements arranged to be individuallysecured in alternate succession to opposite meeting edges of objects tobe joined and fastened, the fastener element including in combination, acylindrical socket portion, a stem extending outwardly from the end wallof said socket portion inaxial align ment with the cylindrical axis ofsaid socket portion, and a ball portion secured to the end of said stemwith its diametrical axis in alignment with the cylindrical axis of saidsocket portion, said ball and socket portions being positioned andspaced one above the other whereby the ball portion may becomplementarily received in the socket portion of a successive fastenerelement in the assembly, the diameter of said ball portion beingslightly less than the inner diameter of said socket portion, the innerdepth of said socket portion being slightly more than the radius of saidball portion, and a clip portion extending from said element forsecuring the element to the meeting edge of an object, said clip portionhaving a pair of spaced wing members between which the meeting edge ofthe object may be received and secured.

4. The articulated slide fastener assembly as set forth in claim 2further characterized in that said clip members have a pair of spacedwing members between which the meeting edges of the object to befastened may be received and secured.

5. In combination with the articulated slide fastener assembly of claim1, further including a flange extending about the outer side wall of theterminal socket portion, said flange being adapted to retain thefastener slide and prevent movement of the slide beyond the terminalfastener element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,613,665 Light Jan. 11, 1927 1,709,827 Bauer Apr. 23, 1929 1,820,327Saunders Aug. 25, 1931 2,193,870 Gross Mar. 19, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS618,340 France of 1926 703,678 France of 1931 786,833 France of 1935605,189 Germany of 1934

